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Belaga is
the capital of the Belaga District (19,403.2 square kilometers) in the
Kapit Division of
Sarawak in east Malaysia. It is located on the upper
reaches of the Rajang River, some 120 kilometers northeast of
Kapit as the
crow flies but considerably further on the river and slightly less than
100 kilometers from the South China Sea coast near Bintulu. It is located
within the Hulu Rajang parliamentary constituency.
The district population as of 2010 was 37,102. Belaga was established in
the early 1900s when a few Chinese traders set up shops and started
trading with the Orang Ulu, supplying essentials such as kerosene, salt
and manufactured goods.
Belaga is
considered a good place to start exploring the Sarawak's interior. There
are many Kenyah and Kayan longhouses along the Balui and Belaga rivers,
and along the Rejang rivers are the Punan, Sekapan, Kejaman and Tanjung
longhouses. It is connected with Kapit by boat known locally as express
boat (4.5 hours) and with Bintulu by logging road.
Belaga is set beside low forested hills that descend to the river. There
is a square with a small park in the centre of the town where locals spend
their leisure time in the afternoon and sometimes engage in cockfighting.
Walk along the river, past the Malay Kampung where most of Belaga's Malay
residents live. There are lots of interesting fruit trees. Try to spot the
tribal burial sites on the other side of the river that are decorated with
carved wooden archways, which have been placed there by the local Kayan
tribal people. On the outskirts of Belaga Town. there are apartment
complexes, schools, police complex, telco station, decent roads, and
everything looks clean.
There a few
budget hotels available in this small town.
To the north is a massive dam project, the Bakun Dam, which is the largest
dam in Asia outside of China. The dam was intended to provide electricity
for Sarawak, other surrounding regions and Peninsular Malaysia, but its
construction was delayed several times due to economic circumstances, in
particular the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997.
Sources:
Wikipedia
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